Congratulations, you found the "perfect" house and are now under contract! One of the first steps we will take next is to have an inspection of the home.
Why? A home inspection is designed to give you a better understanding of the systems and overall condition of the home you're buying. A home inspection will point out anything that may seem questionable about the home's condition and/or potential safety-related concerns.
When? Within the time frame listed in your accepted offer to purchase.
Who? You're able to use any inspector you wish to, but if you want recommendations, we can help you!
How much? The cost of a home inspection may vary dependent on the size of the home. Generally, home inspections begin around $500 and up.
What does it cover? A standard home inspection should cover the following:
- Exterior, porch and deck
- Foundation and walls
- Roof
- Chimneys
- Windows and doors
- Attics
- Electrical and plumbing
- Heating and air conditioning
- Appliances that are staying with the home
- Basement/crawlspaces
- Garage
What about a radon test? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil. You can’t see, smell or taste radon. There is a separate test for Radon and a fee that accompanies it. It must be requested at the time you schedule your inspection.
Should I do a well or septic inspection? In most cases we will have negotiated a contract in which the seller pays for these tests. We should expect a clean report of both systems prior to closing. If the systems do not pass inspection, we will negotiate on your behalf to have them repaired.
At the inspection: The inspector will point out any issues of concern and will often offer solutions for minor things. A good inspector will also show you items that you need to keep any eye on and budget for future repairs. Please keep in mind the inspector is not a licensed professional in any of the required fields he will be inspecting, therefore any of his potential findings much be re-inspected by professionals in that specific field.
After the inspection: The inspector will point out some things during the inspection, but he or she will email you a full report. This report is exhaustive and includes every single item of note. It can appear overwhelming but we're here to help you wrap your head around it!
Things need repair. Where do you go from here?
If the inspector observed issues with electrical work a licensed electrical must be brought in to verify findings and provide estimate for repairs, same with plumbing, roofing, potential mold, pest control, carpentry etc...
Once we have brought in specialist for the items brought forward by the home inspector and we have in hand their opinion on those items and potential repairs estimates we can present our requested for repairs or negotiate the repairs in the form of a price adjustment and or credit at closing on your behalf.
We recommend you ask yourself a few questions:
- Did I offer the Seller full asking price? Above asking price? or Did I already negotiate the price down to allow room for some repairs and updates?
- If an inspector came to my house--what would they find?
- Is everything in perfect working condition in my current residence?
- Do I think my current place is a death trap? Probably not. If I were the seller and were presented with my lists of demands, how would I respond?
- Are the items big enough to risk losing the house? They may be. Sometimes you do need to walk away from a house, even if you love it.
Here is the bottom line: If a major item is not working properly, we'll ask it be repaired. If something is not safe, the seller should make it be safe. But, we can't expect the seller to make the house be new.
We'll explore your options together and come up with a solution that gets you a safe house with everything in proper working condition.
This part of purchasing a home can be a stressful; but, if you understand all of the moving parts and expectations, we can get through this as hassle-free as possible!
*Please note if you are financing with a VA loan, you will need to use a certified VA Home Inspector.
What Comes Next?
We can walk you through that too!
